1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a print processing method which are used in an apparatus or a system for processing print data and printing the print data obtained after the process by a printer in the information processing apparatus on the host side such as a personal computer or the like. The invention also relates to a computer program for allowing a computer to execute processing steps of embodying such a print processing method and to a memory medium in which such a computer program has been stored in a form which can be read out by the computer.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, for example, in an information processing apparatus on the side of a host such as a personal computer or the like, a process for generating print data for performing an N-up printing such that the user freely reduces a plurality of pages, arranges them onto a physical paper of one page, and prints them, a process for adding a page frame to the print data subjected to a reduction layout for the purpose of performing the N-up printing, or the like can be performed by a print processing method whereby the print data is once spooled and its style is processed.
An OS or a printer driver which is activated in the information processing apparatus provides a construction such that the user can define an output paper size, thereby enabling the print data to be printed to a paper of a favorite paper size of the user.
For example, with respect to the reduction layout mentioned above, an effective print area corresponding to the output paper size is equally divided and a drawing area of a logical page in an application of the printer driver is determined. With respect to the page frame, although it is also effective as a cutting line, a frame line as a cutting line is necessary only for a simplex (one side) in a duplex (both sides) printing mode.
However, according to the conventional print processing method as mentioned above, for example, if the user wants to print the print data in an irregular paper size represented by a system notebook or the like, since the maximum value and the minimum value of sizes which can be defined by the user (hereinafter, referred to as “user-defined sizes”) are different for every printer, there is a problem such that the desired user-defined size of the user cannot be designated in dependence on a combination of a kind of printer and the user-defined size.
Therefore, in such a case, the user designates a reducing ratio by the printer driver and allows the reduced print data to be printed by the printer. Consequently, the user needs to adjust the reducing ratio so as to obtain the desired size, so that a burden on him is large.
When the desired output size is small, if a plurality of pages can be obtained from one physical page, the paper can be saved. In order to arrange a plurality of logical pages onto an output paper (physical paper) of one page, hitherto, there is a method of using the N-up function. However, according to the conventional N-up function, since the print data of the output size is reduced so as to be printed to N equal areas obtained by dividing the paper size designated as an “output size” by the printer driver, a desired result for the user cannot be obtained. This is because according to the N-up printing, the area designated by the “output size” of the printer driver is divided into N equal areas and, if the user desires a print result of the user-defined size, it is necessary that an output paper obtained by magnifying the user-defined size N times is prepared in the printer. This is also because in case of using a regular size paper as an output paper, the “output size” of the printer driver has to be designated to the regular size paper, and if such designation is made, since the print data is printed to the N equal areas obtained by dividing the regular size paper, the print result of the user-defined size cannot be obtained.
With respect to the function for adding the page frame (cutting line), for example, in case of performing the duplex printing, the page frame is drawn onto both sides and there is a problem such that the frame on the obverse and that on the reverse are deviated from each other in dependence on an error of the paper feed.